Clear Series
clear as mud
A delightful, thoughtful, and sometimes whimsical approach to life through Fran’s “mini-memoirs.”
clearly me
The 2nd volume of Fran’s min-memoirs. She delights us with her unique take on the ins and outs of her eventful life.
crystal clear
The final (for now) volume of Fran’s entertaining “mini-memoirs.”
non fiction
beesknees #1
a beekeeping memoir
You don’t have to want to become a beekeeper in order to enjoy this light-hearted memoir of one woman’s quest to set up two beehives on her back deck. This is the first of six volumes.
beesknees #4
a beekeeping memoir
There’s a problem brewing in Fran’s beekeeping paradise. How she deals with what seems to be an insurmountable obstacle gives a life lesson for us all.
beesknees #2
a beekeeping memoir
Whimsy, common sense, and food for thought fill this second volume of Fran’s beekeeping memoirs.
beesknees #5
a beekeeping memoir
Facing fears, striding forward, finding joy. That’s what life is all about.
beesknees #3
a beekeeping memoir
Sharing her morning tea with 60,000 girlfriends was Fran’s idea of a good time. You can enjoy the experience through her words.
beesknees #6
a beekeeping memoir
This final volume of Fran’s beekeeping adventures explores not only bees, but her personal cow car wash, London ghosts, chicken eggs, and dammit dolls. Quite a journey.
biscuit mckee series
orange as marmalade
The first of eleven Biscuit McKee Mysteries introduces Biscuit (the librarian) and Marmalade (the library cat). Together they find a dead body on the library stairs, and the fun begins.
blue as blue jeans
When Sam, Bob’s childhood friend, returns to Martinsville, Biscuit is the only one who isn’t in on the secret.
gray as ashes
Biscuit and Marmalade aren’t too concerned when the town firebug burns a garbage bin—but when Biscuit’s garden shed goes up in flames, the fur begins to fly.
pink as peony
We get answers to the cliff-hanger at the end of Black as Soot, as well as a wedding and more mystery than anyone expected.
yellow as legal pads
Biscuit and Bob are enjoying their honeymoon in Savannah until a hotel guest is poisoned.
indigo as an iris
This emotionally charged story takes us deep into an unforeseen tragedy. Mistaken identities and dire misunderstandings complicate matters.
red as a rooster
When the biggest ice storm of the century hits Martinsville, townsfolk gather in Biscuit and Bob’s big old house and begin to uncover the mysterious history of the town.
green as garden hose
Was it suicide or murder? Is Biscuit going to survive as she gets nosy about why Diane Marie is dead?
violet as an amethyst
People missing, a lost dog, and Biscuit fighting for her life after she’s pushed into the raging Metoochie River.
black as soot
Continuing the story from Red as a Rooster, Biscuit and her friends find that not all treachery is ancient, and not all murders are history.
white as ice
The conclusion of the Biscuit McKee Mystery Series, White as Ice ties up all the loose ends, deals with a current murder as well as some ancient ones, and catches everyone up in a maelstrom of deception.
scot shop mysteries
a wee murder in my shop
Peggy Winn may live in modern-day Vermont, but she ends up attached to a 14th-century Scottish ghost. Then it’s a race to find a murderer…before anyone else gets kilt. This is the first book in a series of three.
a wee dose of death
Peggy and Dirk (the ghost) finally get around to settling their differences so they can put a cold-blooded killer under loch and key.
a wee homicide in the hotel
Murder by bagpipe? Two adorable Scottish terriers vie for our attention as Peggy and Dirk juggle sword dancing, caber tossing, and just a spot of murder.
other books
a slaying song tonight
Interviewing a serial killer holds a special fascination for reporter Nancy Remington—until she finds out she’s been targeted in a diabolical way. This standalone mystery is set during the Great Depression.
depression visible:
the ragged edge
by diana alishouse
This is the first and only book that SHOWS what depressive illness feels like.
Diana’s intricate and highly intuitive fabric art takes you into the mind of a depressed person, allowing you to understand more fully where they are, what they’re dealing with, and how they might possibly get out of it.
If you have a depressive illness, know that you are not alone.
from the tip of my pen:
a workbook for writers
Resolution
Poems
Looking to polish your writing? Find essential techniques packaged with charm and humor. Clear examples and practical exercises.
Read with your heart and enjoy the powerful feelings evoked by Fran’s poems
after i die
what my executor will
need to know
When you die, will your executor know who to contact? Will they be lost in your house, trying to find financial records? Will they even know what questions they should have asked you while you were still alive?
At long last, here’s an easy way for you to be kind to your executor by answering all their questions before you risk being unable to answer them.
turnaround
When the Delamamar, a secretive band of blue-scaled, four-eyed forest-dwellers, learn of a pressing need in the nearby town of Russell Gap, they agree amongst themselves to fill that need. But there are those in the town who swear that help is deadly interference and who vow to eradicate “those blue devils.” Which side will win the battle? Who (if anyone) will reach a turnaround point?
midwest book review
a slaying song tonight
. . . Fran Stewart's book is not really a murder mystery, although it does deal with murder. It's more of a courtroom drama, and Ms. Stewart did extensive research, into what conditions have to be present to turn a little slip of a girl into a cold-blooded killer. It's therefore a bit of a psychological study, and the twists and turns in the story give the reader insight into what conditions were like during the Great Depression. More importantly, Fran Stewart provides the reader with a picture of what life was like in the 1930's for women,
and how they were almost prisoners in their own homes and lives. Which begs the question of what remedies did women have from sexual and physical abuse. The plot glues the reader to the book, and the last half provides the explanation.
Ms. Stewart's answer to all of these questions not only chills the reader, but should act as a wake-up call to anyone who would have us reverse the progress that we've made.
midwest book review
